Mother’s Day, on Sunday, March 11, was originally a day when Christians visited their ‘mother church’. The servants of royals, aristocrats, nobility and the wealthy were allowed a holiday to return to their home town and worship with their families.

On the way home, young people would pick wild flowers to place in the church or give to their mothers. It has become a modern tradition to take mothers out for a meal or shower them with chocolates and flowering plants. And while many mums are probably more than happy with these treats there are other ways to celebrate.

Thomas the Tank Engine at the Kirklees Light Railway

We’ve come up with five alternatives to Sunday lunch and a box of Cadbury’s Dairy Milk, although some of them do involve a cream tea!

* This year Mother’s Day falls in the middle of the Huddersfield Literature Festival, so why not book a ticket for one of the two events taking place on March 11. There’s an 11.30am screening of the film Hugo, directed by Martin Scorcese, at the Ukrainian Club in Edgerton Road. The Oscar-winning film is based on the book, The Invention of Hugo Gabret by Brian Selznick and tells the tale of an orphan who lives in secret in a Parisian railway station. Tickets are £1.50 and £3 from huddlitfest.org.uk (A bucks fizz brunch at an extra charge is on offer on the day).

* From 2.30pm the festival is featuring national newspaper columnist Lucy Mangan, Holmfirth author Annabel Pitcher and Emily Drabble from the charity BookTrust with their memories of childhood reading. The event is at the Mechanics Hall in Marsden. Tickets are £3 and £5 (booking as before).

* Tolson Museum in Huddersfield is hosting an object-handling session and talk on Mothering Sunday from 1pm, offering visitors an insight into the museum’s collection. There’s a cream tea for £5 a head. No need to book.

* Kirklees Light Railway’s Mother’s Day Special has departures from 10am until 5pm, offering steam train rides through the majestic Pennines and cream teas to fortify travellers from the Buffer Stop Cafe in Clayton West Station. Travel and eat for £10 a head. No need to book.